Wire-stretcher.



" Patented May 4, 1909.

UNITE t TilATE% PATENT @FFTQE.

JACOB FISHER, OF SAG CITY, IOWA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J Anon Frsnnu, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sac City, in the county of Sac and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful \Vire- Stretcher, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in wire stretcher-s. The object ofthe present invention is to improve the construction of wire strctchers,and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eiiicient wire stretcher ofgreat strength and durability, designed particularly for stretchingwoven fence wires, and capable of being readily operated for enablingthe wire to be stretched successively.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of thatclass of wire stretchers employing a longitudinal screw and a rotarynut, and to prevent lateral strain and binding of the parts when thedevice is exerting considerable power in stretch ing woven wire fencingor in analogous stretching or pulling operations. 7 With these and otherobjects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novelcombination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; itbeing understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size andminor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a wire stretcher,constructed in accordance with this invention. i ig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the wire stretcher.Fig. 4 is a transverse section al view on the line 4-4 of Fig. Fig. 5 isa similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. 6 is a transverse sectionalview on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing 1 designates a longitudinal screw or member,provided at its outer-end with a laterally extending arm 2 to which ispivoted a twisted link or clevis The arm 2, which is flattened,preferably extends upward from the screw, and the twisted link or olevishas an enlarged outer portion 4, connecting Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 22,

Patented May 4:, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 444,819.

the sides of the twisted link or clevis and laterally enlarged toprovide projecting flanges or ribs 5, curved longitudinally and adaptedto engage the contiguous ends of the two horixmital links of ananchoring chain 6. The twisted link or clcvis, which is composed of twosides and a curved connecting pm'tion, has spaced terminals at one end,and the proj ecting ribs or flanges 5 extend only partially around theclevis and are arranged in 'llush relation with the outer face of thecurved connecting portion of the same. The anchoring chain, whichencircles a post 7, is composed of vertical and horizontal links, andthe ribs or flanges 5 fit against the inner faces of the contiguousvertical links and ex tend into the recesses or spaces between theadjacent ends of the contiguous horimntal links. By this constructionthe screw is prevented from twisting when considerable force is exertedin rotating a nut 8 for stretching the fence wires or woven wirefencing. The sides of the links or elevis 3 are spaced apart to receivethe arm 2 and are pivoted to the same by means of a transverse bolt 9.

The nut 8, which has interior screw threads to engage the threads of thescrew, is provided with a smooth extension 10, having an annular flange11 at its outer end and engaging a grooved semi-circular portion l2 ofslidable sleeve 13 to form a separable swivel connection. The nut, whichis ad apted to be rotated for moving the sleeve longitudinally of thescrew, is equipped with a plurality of radially arranged lugs 14', haviug transverse openings 15 for the reception of a bar or lever 16, asillustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of thodrawing for enabling the nutto be readily rotated with sufficient power to operate the wirestretcher. The extension 10 and the flange 11 form a head, which isswivoled to the sleeve 13 by means of the said semi-circular portion 12,which is provided with an interior groove 17, arranged concentric withthe screw and receiving the flange 1]. The sleeve is provided with asegmental opening 18, and it has a groove 19 at the bottom thereof toreceive a key or piece 20,.which (its against a flat face 2] of thescrew. The flat face 21 is ar ranged at the bottom of the screw, and thekey or piece 20 is adjustable by means of a set screw 22 to take up thewear. The set screw, which is mounted in a threaded perforation of thesleeve, has a polygonal outer means of a transverse pin 28.

end and its inner end 23, which is reduced to form a shoulder, fits in aperforation of the key or piece 20. By this construction the sleeve isheld against rotary movement on the .screw, but is permitted to slidelongitudinally of the same. Also the connection between the key and theadjusting screw prevents the key from being displaced from the groovewhen the slide is moved along the screw. The sleeve is also equippedwith a laterally extending lug 24:, projecting upward from the sleeveand receiving a clevis 25. The clevis 25, which is pivoted to the ear orlug 24. by a bolt 26, is composed of two sides and an intermediateconnecting portion. The sides are spaced apart at one end to receive theear or lug 24, and at the other end to receive a front chain 27, whichis adjustably secured to the link or clevis 25 by The pin 28 pierces thesides of the clevis and is adapted to be passed through any one of thelinks of the chain 27, which in practice is designed to be connected byany suitable means with the woven wire fencing, or the fence wires to bestretched.

The inner or front end 29 of the screw is reduced and threaded for thereception of a sleeve 30, interiorly threaded to engage the end 29 andheld against rotary movement by a set screw 31, piercing the sleeve 30and engaging the reduced end 29 of the longitudinal screw. The outer endof the fixed sleeve 30 is provided with an car 32 to which a claw hook33 is pivoted by means of a bolt 34. The claw hook, which has spacedshank portions to straddle the ear or lug 32, is also provided withspaced bills or engaging portions 34, adapted to engage one of the linksof the chain 27. The bills 34*, which constitute a claw, straddle one ofthe links of the chain 27 and engage the adjacent link. The hook isadapted to be engaged with the chain after the nut has been moved to therear end of the longitudinal screw for holding the chain until the nutand sliding sleeve are returned to the front end of the screw foranother stretching operation. The chain 27 may be connected at diiferentpoints or links to the clevis 25. The clevis 25 is arranged in alinementwith the clevis 3 to maintain the screw in a horizontal position and toprevent any tendency of the wire stretcher to twist.

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A wire stretcher including an anchoring chain, a screw, a nutengaging the screw, and a clevis consisting of a twisted link havingspaced terminals at one endand connected with the screw and receivingthe anchoring chain, said clevis being provided at opposite sides withflanges extending partially around the clevis and arranged in flushrelation with the outer face of the same and fitting between andengaging the contiguous ends of the links of the anchoring chain.

2. A wire stretcher including an anchoring chain, a screw, a nutengaging the screw, and

a twisted clevis receiving the anchoring chain and having an enlargedportion provided with laterally projecting ribs or flanges fittedbetween and engaging the contiguous ends of the links of the anchoringchain.

3. A wire stretcher including a longitudinal screw having a laterallyextending arm, an anchoring chain, a nut engaging the screw, a sleevehaving a swivel connection with the nut and provided with a projectingear extending from the same side of the screw as the arm, a clevisconnected with the arm and receiving the anchoring chain, a secondclevis connected with the ear and arranged in alinement with thefirst-mentioned clevis, a front chain connected with the clevis of theear, and a claw hook mounted on the screw and arranged to swing into andout of engagement with the front chain.

4. Awire stretcher including a longitudinal screw having a flattenedface intersecting its threads, a nut engaging the threads and providedwith radially projecting lugs having openings, a slide arranged on thescrew and having a swivel connection with the nut, and means carried bythe slide for connecting the wire stretcher with the wires to bestretched.

5. Awire stretcher including a longitudinal screw having a flatlongitudinal face, a nut engaging the screw, a sleeve slidable on thescrew and connected with the nut and provided with a groove arrangedopposite the said flat face, a key arranged in the groove of the sleeveand fitting against the flat face of the screw, and means for adjustingthe key and for retaining the same in the groove of the sleeve when thelatter is moved along the screw. V

6. A wire stretcher including a longitudinal screw having a fiatlongitudinal face, a nut engaging the screw, a sleeve slidable on thescrew and connected with the nut and provided with a groove arrangedopposite the said flat face, a key arranged in the groove of the sleeveand fitting against the flat face of the screw, and a set screw mountedon the sleeve and swiveled to the key for adjusting the same and forretaining the key in the groove of the sleeve when the latter is movedalong the screw.

' 7. Awire stretcher including alongitudinal screw, a nut arranged onthe screw and provided with a smooth extension having an annular flange,a sleeve slidable on the screw and provided with a semi-circular portionhaving an inner groove and detachably receiving the flange of theextension to form a separable swivel connection, and means forpreventing the sleeve from rotating around the screw.

8. Awire stretcher including alongitudinal the side faces and have acurvature correscrew, a nut arranged on the screw, a sleeve carried bythe nut, a chain connected with the sleeve and extending along one sideof the screw, and a claw hook mounted on the screw and arranged to swinginto and out of engage ment with the chain.

9. Awire stretcher including a longitudinal screw having a reducedthreaded end, a nut mounted on the screw, a sleeve connected with thenut, a chain carried by the sleeve and extending along one side of thescrew, a fixed interiorly threaded sleeve engaging the threaded end ofthe screw and provided with a lug, and a claw hook pivoted to the lugand arranged to swing into and out of engagement with the chain.

10. A wire stretcher including an anchoring chain, and a clevis providedat opposite sides with flanges arranged in flush relation with the outerface of the clevis and fitting between and engaging the contiguous endsof the links of the anchoring chain.

11. A clevis composed of two sides and a connecting portion and providedat opposite sides with curved flanges, which project from i l l l 1 i ll i spendin with that of the connecting portion of the clevis andarranged in flush relation with the outer faces of the same and adaptedto fit between and engage the contiguous ends of the links of a chain.

12. A clevis consisting of a twisted link and composed of two sides anda connecting portion and having its sides bent at an intermediate pointand terminating in spaced alined eyes, said clevis being provided atopposite sides with curved flanges, which pro ject from the side facesand have a curvature corresponding with that of the connecting portionof the clevis an d arranged in flush relation with the outer face of thelatter and adapted to fit between and engage the contiguous ends of thelinks of a chain.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoallixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB FISHER.

Witnesses HENRY BAHL, JOHN H. Cnosn.

